Thank you for starting such a great thread, Julide!
I want a starburst broach like Jackie's.
The story I heard about Jackie's pearls--and of course so many stories about her jewelry are apocryphal, and many stray a bit from the truth--is that while she was campaigning for JFK she was wearing her real pearls, as all proper ladies did. She and the other Kennedy women were holding luncheons and teas for women to get out the vote. Someone--I think it was someone on JFK's staff--told her that since she was trying to woe women of lesser means she might want to tone things down a bit and consider wearing faux pearls instead of real ones. So the faux pearls, specifically ones from Kenneth Jay Lane, became her signature piece.
Since then KJL has gifted faux pearls to all the first ladies. Although I believe Barbara Bush has been the only one to wear them regularly.
O.k., feel free to correct me on anything I got wrong in this story.
Jackie was a good friend of Kenneth Lane, wore a lot of his jewelry, and was one reason why his costume jewelry became so fashionable in the '60s.
What a great story! Thank you for sharing! I never knew it was for campaigning purposes she started wearing faux pearls! But it worked!! How many of those pearls have been worn not only by women around the world but other FLOTUS as well!
I always wondered why Barbara wore KJL pearls this makes perfect sense!! I was reading an article on Barbara (She was interviewed by one of her granddaughters) she was asked why she wore pearls. She said to hide the wrinkles!!
